Last.



No. 726,755. I PATENTED APR. 28, 1903. 0. P; PYM.

LAST.

7 I APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, 1903'. NO MODBL. I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

g ni I] was; Y6 m:

a JL Z a '62 6 a we'zrcesaes': k lv cz/evc/ov'n .104 Z c'wrzeal'f 1m UNirsn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. PYM, OF ESSEX, CANADA,

LAST.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 726,755, dated April 28, 1903.

Application filed January 22, 1903. Serial No. 140,191. (No model.)

tion, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters'on the drawings representing. like parts.

Although a lastis small and simple in shape and construction, and therefore should apparently be easy to devise and make, in practice it has been proved to be exceedingly difficult to provide at one and the same time great strength, durability, simplicity, and small expense in the same last, and yet for the best results a last must meet all these requirements.

In the advanced stateof the art of shoemaking hinged lasts are required for the higher grade of work, and accordingly the present invention aims at producing a hinged last meeting all of the above requirements.

, As at-present usuallymade hinged lasts contain a joint in which kerfs for receiving the hinge are cut in the Wood lengthwise of the grain toward the heel and too from the line of out which separates the heel part from the fore part, and thereby the last is weakened, so that it is more liable to split and break in use, and, besides this, as thesaid;

line of cut extends straight across the last at theshank thereof, simply leaving two transverse walls abutting against each other at the meeting ends of the fore part and heel part, the twisting strains of the fore part on the heel part bring further severe splitting pressures at said kerfs and on the hinges at the very places where the last construction is weakest, the result being that last man ufacturers have been obliged to use very heavy and cumbersome hinges or else employ a large number of rivets for binding the wood against splitting, and also the manufacture has been rendered unwarrantably expensive not only because of the initial expense of these accessories, but because of the nicety of workmanship reqnired, and-hence special skill and consequent high wages of the mechanic in inserting and applying them.

The present invention aims to do away entirely with the saw-kerfs referred to, thereby leaving the wood in its original strength uncut, and also provides broad substantial lating compound bracing effects, while the wood itself constitutes the hingeor turning joint,

"requiring merely some "convenient means,

such as a pin or rivet, for holding the parts The invention will be described in further detail and other features thereofsuch as the locking arrangement, application thereof to the collapsing style of last, due-will be more fully pointed out in the course of the following description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown, and the latter will be further defined in the appended claims forming a part of this specifi cation.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows in side elevation one form of the invention applied to a collapsible hinged last. Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof on the line 2 2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View showing the rear end of the last in top plan. Fig. 4 is a similar View showing the same in bottom plan.

'of out.

As already stated, a usual hinged last would be simply sawed straight across at the rear end of its shank or waist, as shown, for example, in United States Letters Patent No. 673,889, dated May 14, 1901, and No. 645,906, dated March 20, 1900, so that the last is weakened by the hinge-receiving cuts and has lit tle resistance excepting at the hinge against twisting or rocking strains.

Instead of severing the last, as just explained, the last is cut in thepresentinyention along an irregular line, herein shown as substantially Z-shaped, asindicated best in Figs. 3 and t at a b, c d, the idea being toprovide at the meeting ends of the fore part A and heel part B a central longitudinal wall on each part extending vertically-that is, in a direction from the top toward the bottom of the last-so that the two walls abut flat against each other, affording a large superficial area of contact for resistingtwisting or rocking strains and giving great rigidity, the joint being further strengthened and supported by end shoulders or abutting surfaces at a Z) and c (l, respectively, which preferably extend at right angles to the longitudinal walls, thereby cooperating with the latter in giving exceedingly strong bracing effects. This construction also facilitates the hinging of the last, as any means for retaining the two surfaces in swinging contact renders the last readily operable in the ordinary hingedlastmanner, such convenient means being herein shown as consisting of a pin or rivet c, headed at its opposite ends 0' c and preferably surrounded by a wear-plate or sleeve 0 WVhen thus formed, the outer upperends of the two overlapping or halved-together parts cf are cut away, as indicated at f c, to permit the heel part to turn on the pin a as a center.

While the specific construction explained above is preferred and is accordingly definitely claimed herein, it is to be understood that it is not intended to restrict the invention in its broader aspect, as set forth in certain of the claims thereto, as, for example, the strength-giving and rigidity-producing features of cut may be applied to other wellknown types of divided lasts than those in which a hinged connection or swinging joint is employed, and, in fact, this has been found desirable for certain purposes. Also,as above intimated, while the right-angled abutting ends and particular shape of walls a b, c dare preferable for ordinary use the invention (excepting as defined in certain of the claims) is not restricted thereto.

In Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings the invention is shown applied to the type of last shown in the first mentioned of the above-cited pat cuts, the partf of the heel part being provided with a stud or pin g, projecting into a cam-slot h in the part c of the fore part, which is preferably provided with a metal lining or wear-plate h.

In manufacture the last is first bored vertically, as indicated at b, and if the square-ended abutting surfaces herein shown are to be provided in thelasta straight cut is made from d to c, and a similar incision is made with a band-saw along the line from a to b, whereupon the last is turned at right angles to its former position and is sawed from b to 0, thereby completing the severing or separation of the heel part and fore part. The horizontal pivot-hole is then bored. When the last is hinged to swing, as on the pivot c, a shoulder or flat bearing-surface 7c is preferably left at one or both sides of the last, which binds or offers strong frictional resistance against the abutting wall for locking the parts or holding them in lengthened position. Different parts of the said bearing-surfaces 7t 7.: being at different radial distances from the pivot or center of swinging movement, the result is that they ofier resistance for yieldingly locking the last in normal position. Also the provision of the extended longitudinally-contacting walls, which are clamped tightly together by the rivet or pin 0, (in that form of the invention herein shown,) offers great frictional resistance, tending to hold the last in collapsed or extended position,as the case may be.

It will be seen, viewing Figs. 2 and 3 more especially, that this construction of last reduces to a minimum the tendency to break down, split, and wear out at the hinge because of twisting strains, inasmuch as the twisting strain does not come on the hinge, but is distributed throughout the entire vertical extent of the last and is taken directly by the material of the last. The overlapping wood prevents any lateral shifting of one part on the other; also, the last parts are not cutinto, but are left whole. There is no hinge as such required, and hence the rivets commonly employed are unnecessary and their cost and weakening effect in the last are avoided. No expensive jigs and machinery are required for making the last, as there is no fitting in of a hinge to make the proper alining of the fore part with the heel part difficult, and when invertedas, for instance, under the leveling pressure (when the last is used as a first last) -the vertical pressure as the tool passes lengthwise of the last-will always be divided when in the region of the joint by both the fore part and heel part, because of their overlapping abutting ends, as is clearly apparent viewing Fig. 4.

Without attempting to set forth all the advantages in construction and use and all the variations in form and arrangement of parts, what is claimed as new, and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A divided last, having a portion of its heel part at one side of the last extending forward, and having a portion of its fore part at the opposite side of the last extending rearward, said two extending portions overlapping and at their outer ends abutting, respectively, against a transverse wall in the opposite part extending in from the side of the last.

2. A divided last, having central vertical longitudinal walls extending substantially from the top to the bottom of the last and abutting against each other, one being formed in the heel part and the other in the fore part, means connecting said fore part and heelpart and permitting relative swinging movement of one wall over the other for putting the last in shortened or lengthened position.

3. A divided hinged last, having its heel part mounted to swing on its fore part, an integral portion of the wood of said fore part extending rearwardly and overlapping in a longitudinal plane of the last and extending from the top to the bottom thereof, a corresponding integral portion of the wood of the heel part for preventing lateral shifting movement.

4. A divided last, having the line of separation of the fore part and heel part terminate at one side of the last out of transverse alinement with the termination thereof at the other side of the last.

5. A hinged last, having the wood of the fore part and heel part overlapped to swing on each other, the meeting walls of said overlapped parts extending in a vertical plane and substantially commensurate with the height of the last, and clamping means for holding said walls in intimate frictional contact for giving the last parts stability of position.

6; A last, having its fore part and heel part hinged together and having the instep portion of the fore part movable toward and from the shank portion thereof, an integral portion of the wood of said instep part extending longitudinally over an integral portion of the wood of the heel part of the last, and means connecting the said two overlying portions for automatically moving said instep part by the movement of the heel part.

7. A last, having its fore part and heel part i hinged together and having theinstep portion of the fore part movable toward and from the shank portion thereof, an integral portion of the wood of said instep part extending longitudinally over an integral portion of the woodof the heel part of the last, one of said overlying portions having a cam-slot and the other portion carrying a pin fitting said slot, the movement of one portion on the other acting through said slot and pin to move said instep part.

8. A hinged last having portions of its heel part and fore part provided with vertical walls overlapping each other and pivotally joined together, one overlapping portion having its end abutting against a transverse wall provided in the'opposite part, said abutting end and wall being formed to resist movement from normal position by having parts thereof at different radial distances from the pivotal axis and \vedging against each other in moving from lengthened position toward collapsed position for yieldingly locking the last in normal position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. PYM.

Witnesses:

GEO. J. THOMAS, WM. CHURCH. 

